Over 3,800 Fresno County employees with Anthem Blue Cross healthcare benefits can now receive services at Community Medical Center hospitals and partnering practices. Fresno County officials announced San Joaquin Valley Insurance Authority signed a direct contract with Community Health System as of April 2.
By Amanda De Anda
As of 2022, Anthem Blue Cross has 133,603 members in Fresno County. It is the second most populated county of Anthem Blue Cross members in all of California.
It was the only healthcare network whose health plan agreement expired December 2022, according to Community Medical Centers. Meanwhile, Community Medical Centers announced successful agreements with United Healthcare and Cigna. Anthem Blue Cross stated negotiations dragged out due to “Community Medical Centers’ current unreasonable demands [that] would result in significantly higher health care costs for Fresno-area residents and employers,” as reported by ABC30.
Fresno County employees covered by the Anthem Blue Cross health plan benefits can receive services provided at Community Medical Center hospitals and Community Health Partners’ practices at in-network rates retroactively to Jan. 1. This means Fresno County employees can still get coverage for the three months that Anthem Blue Cross and Community Medical could not come to an agreement.
While a direct contract was signed, negotiations between Anthem Blue Cross and Community will continue.
Flourishing Fresno 